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Abstract:

A method of making a deck for storing cargo in a shipping vehicle
comprising: securing two pairs of braces to opposed surfaces associated
with the shipping vehicle by engaging opposed ends of first elongated
supports with the pair of braces such that each first elongated support
interconnects one of the pairs of braces and extends substantially
parallel to a base associated with the shipping vehicle; engaging second
elongated supports with each of the braces, each second elongated support
interconnecting a respective brace and the base; and positioning a
decking on the first elongated supports for supporting the cargo. A brace
for making the cargo deck engageable with a horizontally-extending
support and a vertically-extending support.

Claims:

1. A brace securable to a wall of a shipping vehicle comprising a
receptacle defining a cavity for receiving an end of an elongated support
for securing the brace to the wall of the shipping vehicle and a ramp for
receiving the end of the elongated support into the receptacle, the ramp
defining a pair of slots for receiving cargo strapping for restraining
cargo within the shipping vehicle.

2. The brace of claim 1 wherein the ramp has a bottom that defines the
pair of slots for receiving cargo strapping for restraining cargo
movement within the shipping vehicle.

3. The brace of claim 1 further comprising a pair of lateral flaps
disposed on opposite sides of the receptacle, the lateral flaps and ramp
each having a forward end, the forward end of the ramp extending beyond
the forward ends of the lateral flaps.

4. The brace of claim 3 wherein the slots are disposed forward of the
forward ends of the lateral flaps.

5. The brace of claim 4 wherein the ramp has a bottom that defines the
pair of slots for receiving cargo strapping for restraining cargo within
the shipping vehicle.

6. The brace of claim 1 wherein the receptacle includes structure defining
a support slot for receiving an end of an other elongated support.

7. The brace of claim 6 wherein the structure defines a pair of parallel
rails extending substantially the entire height of the receptacle.

8. The brace of claim 1 wherein the receptacle includes structure for
defining a support slot sized to receive an end of a 2''×4''
elongated support.

9. The brace of claim 8 wherein the structure defines a pair of parallel
rails extending substantially the entire height of the receptacle.

10. A brace securable to a wall of a shipping vehicle comprising a
receptacle defining a cavity for receiving an end of an elongated support
for securing the brace to the wall of the shipping vehicle, a pair of
rails defining a support slot for receiving an end of a 2''×4''
elongated support, and a ramp for receiving the end of the elongated
support into the receptacle, the ramp defining a pair of slots for
receiving cargo strapping for restraining cargo in the shipping vehicle.

11. The brace of claim 10 wherein the ramp has a bottom that defines the
pair of slots for receiving cargo strapping for restraining cargo in the
shipping vehicle.

12. The brace of claim 10 further comprising a pair of lateral flaps
disposed on opposite sides of the receptacle walls, the lateral flaps and
ramp each having a forward end, the forward end of the ramp extending
beyond the forward ends of the lateral flaps.

13. The brace of claim 12 wherein the slots are disposed forward of the
forward ends of the lateral flaps.

14. The brace of claim 13 wherein the ramp has a bottom that defines the
pair of slots for receiving cargo strapping for restraining cargo in the
shipping vehicle.

Description:

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001]This application is a Continuation of copending U.S. application
Ser. No. 11/857,981, filed Sep. 19, 2007 (titled: "METHOD AND DEVICE FOR
MAKING A CARGO DECK"), the contents of which application are incorporated
herein by reference in their entirety.

[0002]The present invention relates generally to a method and device for
making a cargo deck in a shipping vehicle.

BACKGROUND

[0003]Cargo transported for commercial and other uses is often shipped in
semi-trailers or other trucks, railcars, ships, aircraft or other
shipping vehicles. Stacking of the cargo within the shipping vehicle may
provide efficiencies, however, certain types of cargo might not be
readily stackable due to a variety of different reasons such as the
nature or configuration of the cargo.

SUMMARY

[0004]The present disclosure is directed to a method and device for making
a cargo deck in a shipping vehicle. The method includes securing a brace
to one of a pair of opposed walls or other opposed surfaces associated
with the shipping vehicle by positioning the brace on the surface and
engaging an end of a first elongated support, such as, for example, a
4''×4'' wooden support, with the brace such that the first
elongated support extends substantially parallel to a floor or other base
associated with the shipping vehicle; engaging a second elongated
support, such as, for example, a 2''×4'' wooden support, with the
brace and with the floor; and positioning a decking on the first
elongated support.

[0005]The method also includes securing an other brace to the other of the
opposed walls associated with the shipping vehicle by positioning the
other brace on the other walls and engaging an other end of the first
elongated support with the other brace; and engaging an other second
elongated support with the other brace and the floor. The method also
includes securing an other pair of braces with an other first elongated
support and an other pair of second elongated supports and positioning
the decking over the other first elongated support. When the first
elongated support is positioned in place between the two braces, the
first elongated support is in compression and thus exerts a tensile or
axial force on the braces and the walls, causing the walls to exhibit
resilient properties.

[0006]The present disclosure is also directed to the brace for making the
cargo deck. The brace comprises a receptacle including a receptacle wall
defining a cavity for receiving the end of the first elongated support
for securing the brace to the wall of the shipping vehicle and including
a pair of rails defining a slot for receiving an end of the second
elongated support. The pair of rails may be parallel to each other and
may extend substantially the entire height of the receptacle. The brace
may comprise a ramp for receiving the end of the elongated support into
the receptacle. The ramp may define a slot for receiving cargo strapping.

[0007]Features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in part
in the description which follows and the accompanying drawings described
below, wherein an embodiment of the disclosure is described and shown,
and in part will become apparent upon examination of the following
detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a truck containing cargo and a cargo
deck in accordance with an illustrated embodiment of the present
disclosure;

[0009]FIG. 2 is a partial, enlarged and exploded view of the cargo deck of
FIG. 1;

[0010]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the braces of the cargo deck
of FIG. 1;

[0011]FIG. 4 is a side plan view of one of the braces of the cargo deck of
FIG. 1; and

[0012]FIG. 5 is a front plan view of one of the braces of the cargo deck
of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013]FIG. 1 illustrates a truck 10 containing a cargo deck 12 in
accordance with an illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure
having cargo 14 disposed thereon. The cargo deck 12 comprises a plurality
of braces 20, a plurality of first elongated supports 22 extending
horizontally, a plurality of second elongated supports 24 extending
vertically, and decking 26 supporting cargo 14 in the truck 10. The cargo
deck 12 also includes cargo strapping 28 for securing some or all of the
cargo 14 on the cargo deck. The illustrated truck 10 includes a pair of
opposed walls 30 and a floor 32. The braces 20 are secured to the opposed
walls 30 by the first elongated supports 22, and the braces 20 and
decking 26 are further vertically supported by the second elongated
supports 24. The truck 10 can instead be in the form of any other type of
shipping vehicle, including, for example, any other type of truck or any
type of railcar, ship, aircraft or other vehicle.

[0014]In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the decking 26 is supported by the
braces 20, the two first elongated supports 22 and the four second
elongated supports 24. The braces 20 of each pair of interconnected
braces are secured on the opposed walls 30 of the truck 10 and are
interconnected by one of the first elongated supports 22 extending above
and parallel to the floor 32 of the truck. Each of the elongated supports
22 is in compression and thus exerts a tensile force on the respective
pair of braces 22 and the opposed walls 30. Additionally, each brace 20
is further supported vertically by one of the elongated supports 24 which
extends from the brace to the floor 32 of the truck 10 to thereby
interconnect the brace and the floor. Thus, each pair of braces 20
engages one elongated member 22, which extends horizontally; and each
brace 20 engages one elongated member 24, which extends vertically.

[0015]The braces 20 in accordance with the present disclosure may have any
suitable construction and configuration. In the illustrated embodiment,
for example, each brace 20 includes a receptacle 40 including a
receptacle wall 42 that defines an open-ended cavity 44 for receivably
engaging one end of one of the first elongated supports 22. The brace 20
also includes a ramp 50 leading into the open end of the cavity 44, a
pair of lateral flaps 52, a plurality of gussets 54 interconnecting the
lateral flaps 52 and the receptacle wall 42, a wall-engaging bottom
surface 56, and an adhesive 58 disposed on the wall-engaging bottom
surface 56. The cavity 44 is sized to receive an end of an first
elongated support 22 in the form of a 4''×4'' wooden support, but
the cavity may have any other size and configuration and may be sized to
receive any other type of elongated support in accordance with other
embodiments of the present disclosure. The adhesive 58 may be in the form
of a two-sided tape 64 with a removable release layer 66, or may be in
any other suitable form in accordance with other embodiments of the
present disclosure.

[0016]The receptacle wall 42 includes a pair of lateral walls 70 and a
base wall 72 interconnecting the lateral walls defining the open-ended
cavity 44. The receptacle wall 42 also includes a pair of rails 76 on the
base wall opposite the cavity 44. The rails 76 extend parallel to each
other substantially the entire height of the receptacle wall 42 and
define a slot 80 for receiving an end of the second elongated support 24.
The rails 76 are spaced a sufficient distance to engage the end of a
second elongated support 24 in the form of a 2''×4'' wooden
support. The rails 76 may have any other spacing or any other suitable
construction and configuration suitable to engage a 2''×4'' wooden
support or any other type of elongated support in accordance with other
embodiments of the present disclosure and may depend upon the
configuration of the elongated support. Further, the slot 80 may instead
have any other size and configuration, and may be comprised of structure
other than the rails 76, or may be disposed at any other location on the
brace 20 in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017]The brace 20 may be constructed of plastic and have a monolithic
construction, and may be formed by injection molding. The brace 20 may be
constructed of any suitable plastic resin or other plastic. The brace 20
may be constructed by any other suitable means and may have any other
suitable monolithic or other construction in accordance with other
embodiments of the present disclosure. The decking 26 may be plywood or
may be constructed of any other suitable material depending upon the
cargo being transported.

[0018]The receptacle 40 of the brace 20 also includes a pair of opposed
walls 90 disposed between the pair of lateral walls 70 of the receptacle
defining a channel 92 therebetween. The pair of opposed walls 90 extend
from their base to a lesser height than the lateral walls 70 of the
receptacle 40. The receptacle 40 also includes a pair of engaging
surfaces 94 which join the lateral walls 70 with the tops of the opposed
walls 90 for engaging the respective end of the first elongated support
22 when it is in the receptacle 40 and which define a base of the cavity
44. The walls 90 and the engaging surfaces 94 also form the ramp 50 that
extends adjacent the cavity 44 to facilitate a camming or wedging receipt
of the end of the first elongated support 22 into the cavity and
engagement between the receptacle 40 and the first elongated support 22.
In addition, the receptacle 40 includes a pair of lateral ribs 96
interconnecting the pair of opposed walls 90 and a central rib 98 to add
strength and rigidity to the brace 20.

[0019]The opposed walls 90 of the ramp 50 define a pair of slots 100 for
receiving the cargo strapping 28 for restraining cargo movement to
provide further cargo transportation benefits. The cargo strapping 28 can
be any suitable form of strapping that can be received by the slots 100
to restrain some or all of the cargo 14 disposed on the cargo deck 12 or
disposed anywhere else in the truck 10.

[0020]The engaging surfaces 94 include lips 110 for maintaining the first
elongated support 22 in the cavity 44. The height of the opposed walls 90
relative to the lateral flaps 52 is illustrated as being constant from
the base wall 72 toward the ramp 50, and then decreases along part of the
length of the ramp. The ramp 50 extends outward beyond the opposed walls
90.

[0021]The gussets 54 are spaced along the lateral walls 70 of the
receptacle 40 and the lateral flaps 52, providing additional structural
support to the brace 20. Each gusset 54 is joined to the lateral wall 70,
and the lateral flap 52. Any other suitable numbers of gussets 54 can be
used in accordance with the present disclosure. Further, the gussets 54
may have any other suitable structure or may even be eliminated in
accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022]Each brace 20 further includes tamper proofing means comprising a
pair of holes 120 defined on the lateral walls 70 of the receptacle 40
and a tie or cable (not shown) for interconnecting the holes 120 after
the elongated support has been positioned in the receptacle 40. The tie
or cable may include a clamp, or zip tie or include any other structure
that cannot be removed without being cut or destroyed. The tie or cable
is secured after the elongated support 22 has been positioned in
receptacle 40 to provide tamper evident benefits. Upon arrival of the
cargo, the tie or cable can be inspected and, if it has been cut or
removed prior to arrival, there is evidence that the cargo deck 10 has
been tampered with during shipment.

[0023]The cargo deck 12 in accordance with the present disclosure may be
constructed or otherwise made in any suitable manner. For example, one
pair of braces 20 may be positioned on the opposed walls 30 with the
ramps 50 facing upward, and secured to the opposed walls by the adhesive
58. One first elongated support 22 may be engaged with the pair of braces
20 by inserting opposed ends of the first elongated support 22 into the
cavities 44 of the receptacles 40 of the braces such that the elongated
support extends above and across the floor 32 of the truck 10. The other
pair of braces 20 may then be secured to the opposed walls 30 in a
similar manner at a distance from the first pair of braces.

[0024]When engaging the first elongated support 22 with the braces 20, the
first elongated support 22 may be positioned relative to the braces and
raised slightly vertically above the receptacles 40. The first elongated
support 22 is then placed adjacent one or both of the ramps 50 of the
braces 20. The first elongated support 22 is then lowered until it
contacts one or both ramps 50. After the first elongated support 22
contacts one or both of the ramps 50, pressure is applied to cause the
first elongated support to cam or wedge into one or both of the cavities
44 of the pair of braces 20. Once the first elongated support 22 is
wedged into place, the first elongated support is in compression and thus
exerts a tensile or axial force on the braces 20 and thus the walls 30 of
the truck 10, causing the wall 30 to exhibit resilient properties. The
result is that the braces 20 are locked firmly in place.

[0025]Before or after the first elongated supports 22 are positioned in
place, one of the second elongated supports 24 is disposed between each
brace 20 and the floor 32 to provide further vertical support for the
cargo 14. The decking 26 is then disposed on the pair of first elongated
supports 22. Any suitable cargo 14 can then be disposed on the decking 26
or beneath the decking. Additionally, cargo strapping 28 can be used to
restrain cargo 14 in any suitable manner such as, for example, by
engaging the cargo strapping with the slots 100 of one or more of the
braces 20, wrapping the cargo strapping around some or all of the cargo,
and engaging the cargo strapping with the slots of one of the other
braces. The tamper proofing means can also be used to provide tamper
evident benefits.

[0026]The steps for making the cargo deck 12 set forth above can be
accomplished in any suitable order. Further, depending upon other
structure within or otherwise associated with the shipping vehicle, the
cargo deck 12 can be made by using more or less than four braces 20 in
accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure. Still
further, although the braces 20 of the illustrated cargo deck 12 are
secured to the opposed walls 30 of the shipping vehicle, depending upon
other structure within or otherwise associated with the shipping vehicle,
the braces can instead be secured to any other opposed surfaces
associated with a shipping vehicle, such as other cargo or any other
secure structure in accordance with other embodiments of the present
disclosure. Similarly, the braces 20 of the illustrated cargo deck 12 are
interconnected with the floor 32 of the shipping vehicle, but can instead
be interconnected with any other base associated with the shipping
vehicle, such as other cargo or any other base in accordance with other
embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027]The cargo deck 12 in accordance with the present disclosure provides
many advantages. For example, cargo 14 can be stacked on or underneath
the cargo deck 12, and thus, the cargo deck can be used for stacking over
cargo that may not be readily stacked in a shipping vehicle because of
the nature or configuration of the cargo, such as, for example, cargo
that is likely to be damaged, broken and/or crushed if stacked such as,
for example, valuables, dishes, glassware and other glass items, plants,
bushes, trees, food items, etc.

[0028]Further, the cargo deck 12 in accordance with the illustrated
embodiment can be readily constructed in the shipping vehicle without the
need for any tools. Also, the braces 20 tend to be inexpensive to
manufacture and thus disposable and the first and second elongated
supports 22 and 24 also tend to be inexpensive and readily reusable.
Thus, such components do not need to be recovered after use or tracked
during shipment. Therefore, the cargo deck in accordance with the
illustrated embodiment provides a efficient and inexpensive manner for
storing cargo in a shipping vehicle.

[0029]The lateral flaps 52 of each brace 20 reduce, if not eliminate, the
possibility that the brace will roll over as a result of the a shearing
stress applied by the first elongated support 22 in either direction. The
lateral flaps 52 similarly reduce, if not eliminate, the possibility that
the brace 20 will roll back in response to a shearing stress applied by
the first elongated support 22 in a back direction. Further, the lateral
flaps 52 provide additional surface area for the adhesive 58 and thus
additional surface area for engaging the walls 30 of the shipping
vehicle. The gussets 54 add strength and rigidity to the receptacle and
also transfer to the lateral flaps 52 any shearing force caused by the
first elongated support 22. The ribs 96 included in the receptacle 40
also add strength thereto in a cost effective manner.

[0030]While embodiments have been illustrated and described in the
drawings and foregoing description, such illustrations and descriptions
are considered to be exemplary and not restrictive in character, it being
understood that only illustrative embodiments have been shown and
described and that all changes and modifications that come in the spirit
of the disclosure are desired to be protected. The description and
figures are intended as illustrations of embodiments of the disclosure,
and are not intended to be construed as having or implying limitation of
the disclosure to those embodiments.

[0031]There are a plurality of advantages of the present disclosure
arising from various features set forth in the description. It will be
noted that alternative embodiments of the disclosure may not include all
of the features described yet still benefit from at least some of the
advantages of such features. Those of ordinary skill in the art may
readily devise their own implementations of the disclosure and associated
methods, without undue experimentation, that incorporate one or more of
the features of the disclosure and fall in the spirit and scope of the
present disclosure and the appended claims.